The Spirit of Moses' Law Prevails Today

     Paul realized that no man could obey the law fully; therefore, God’s immutable moral law would bring death to every man who thought they could find life by attempting to obey it.  God’s law is permanent, just, holy, good, and could only be fulfilled by the God/Man Christ who is the only hope for depraved man.

     “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  …For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh…that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”  Romans 8:1-4

     Paul summarized his argument by confirming that man is still in the flesh which is by nature sinful.  Man’s only solution to that dilemma is to place his trust in the vicarious death of the sinless Christ and receive the Spirit of God within him to rule his life.

     With God, there is no ‘plan B.’ His standard of righteousness had to be fulfilled by one in the form of man.  Christ did that which no other man could do.

     In his letter to the church in Galatia, Paul reiterated the requirement for God’s law to be fulfilled in total.

     “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’… Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…”  Galatians 3:10, 13a

     The central point in the above passage is that anyone who chooses to seek salvation by obeying the law must abide by the entire law which is impossible.  Therefore, such a person is cursed.  Christ has redeemed His chosen by paying their sin debt for them.  He became the curse in their place.  The only requirement for the redeemed is to have faith in the work of Christ.  Such faith is also a gift of God.

     Subsequent to the beginning of the church, the apostles revealed other detailed items included in God’s standard of righteousness.  For example:

     “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand…that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21

     The practices Paul lists above are innate to the natural man.  Such issues are included in God’s immutable righteousness and those who practice any of them will ‘not inherit the kingdom of God.’

     The above practices are summarized in redeemed man’s responsibility towards his fellow man.

     “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Galatians 5:14

     If a man truly loves his neighbor and desires the best of God in his neighbor’s life, then he will instinctively fulfill the golden rule of conduct.  That will fulfill God’s ‘law’ of righteousness required of him relative to his fellow man.  Again, such is only possible if the Spirit of God dwells within him; and the Spirit is given to those who have placed their faith in Christ.

     This great truth was illustrated in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome.

     “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”  Romans 13:8-10

     Again, true love (agape love) towards one’s fellow man fulfills God’s required righteousness.

Moses and the Church

     After Jesus’ vicarious death, resurrection, and ascension to His Father, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in God’s chosen and the church was born.  The next step in God’s immutable plan for His own was being fulfilled.

     Recall Jesus came to earth not to destroy the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it.  The law, which revealed God’s standard of righteousness, was still very much applicable, i.e. God’s law for those created in His image was/is immutable.

     Paul confirmed the significance of the immutability of the law.

     “What advantage then has the Jew…Much in every way!  Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God…”  Romans 3:1-2

     The Greek meaning of ‘oracles’ in this verse primarily means ‘declaration.’  It is the expression of the mind of God. 

     The Hebrew meaning of ‘oracles’ is very descriptive with several synonyms including ‘commandment,’ ‘decree,’ ‘ordinance,’ ‘law,’ and ‘statute.’

     Therefore, ‘the law’ prevailed from 1445 BC up to and through the age of the church.  And we’ll see that it doesn’t end there.  The only thing that changes is the world’s view of ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’

     In the Book of Acts Stephen referred to Moses’ law as ‘living oracles’ meaning that God’s 1500 year old standards were still very much alive in the age of the church.

     While recounting Jewish history Stephen was accused of blasphemy against Moses and God.

     “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.  Him you shall hear.’  This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness…on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected…”  Acts 7:37-39a

 

     Recall that Stephen said Moses received the ‘living oracles’ to ‘give to us,’ i.e. the church.

     Stephen accused the Jews of being betrayers and murderers like their fathers who had received the law but rejected it just like the current generation of pious Jews rejected Jesus, the One who fulfilled the law.

     Paul also confirmed the authenticity of the law and the One who fulfilled it.

     “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law.”  Romans 10:4-5a

    Paul introduces the doctrine that Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law which we will see that no one else could possibly do.  And Paul confirms the law began with Moses.

     While Christ fulfilled the law, God’s standard of righteousness as revealed to Moses remains, and those who reject Christ will be judged by that same law.  Paul reiterates that no one but Christ could abide by the total law.

     “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man (Jesus) is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”  Acts 13:38-39

     Paul goes on to state that the purpose of the law was to reveal God’s standard of righteousness.  Obedience was not only expected of man but required of man.

     “…I would not have known sin except through the law.  For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet.’”  Romans 7:7

    

     Interestingly, in today’s world, only three of the original Ten Commandments, not considering the Sabbath which Christ fulfilled, are part of America’s legal system.

 

·        You shall not murder

·        You shall not steal

·        You shall not bear false witness (perjury)

     Evidently, America’s legal system does not consider idolatry, adultery, or coveting to be worthy of chastisement. 

     Such thinking is totally contrary to Paul’s teaching.

     “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.  And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.  Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”  Romans 7:9-12

     There would be no hope for mankind without Jesus.

     Share your thoughts: Walt.Thrun@gmail.com

Jesus Confirms Moses' Law

     Fourteen hundred years before the birth of Christ, Moses foretold of Jesus and His purpose which was foreordained before time began.

     Prior to entering the Promised Land, God revealed to Moses the future great Prophet.

     “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth…And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”  Deuteronomy 18:18-19

     Then when Jesus walked on the earth and while addressing the Jews He confirmed the authenticity of the message God gave to Moses which he had passed on to the Israelites fourteen hundred years earlier.

     Jesus acknowledged that the pious Jews believed and trusted in Moses.

     “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.”  John 5:46

     Jesus not only confirmed that Moses spoke of Him, He also confirmed the immutability of the law given to Moses.

     Recall the story of the rich young ruler who inquired of Jesus what he must do to have eternal life.

     Jesus told him that he must keep the commandments.  The young man asked Him which ones he needed to obey.

     “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Matthew 19:18-19

     Jesus listed those that affected mans’ relationship to one another.  Instead of listing the 10^th commandment relative to coveting, He summarized interpersonal relationships by stating such commandments could be fulfilled by loving one’s fellowman.  His statement in no way implies that coveting was no longer a requirement of the law.

     Fulfilling the interpersonal relationships by loving one’s neighbor was introduced at the time the law was given.

     “You shall not hate your brother in your heart…You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge…but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”  Leviticus 19:17-18

     Jesus would then summarize the Ten Commandments into two categories, i.e. those relating to one’s relationship with God and those relating to one’s relationship to his neighbor.

     “Jesus said to him (a Pharisee), ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40

      Both summary commandments were given to Moses at the time the law was originally given.

     In another confrontation with the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, Jesus told another story about a rich man and a beggar.

     Recall that the rich man lived ‘sumptuously’ while the beggar, full of sores, was laid at the rich man’s gate waiting for crumbs from the rich man’s table.

     Both died.  While suffering in Hades the rich man as a last resort asked Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers of the torment in Hades.  Abraham’s response:

     “…If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”  Luke 16:31

     The law given through Moses and the Prophets was immutable.

     Then after Jesus’ death and resurrection while on the Road to Emmaus He revealed Himself to His fellow travelers.

     “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!’ ...And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”  Luke 24:25, 27

     Early in His earthly ministry, Jesus proclaimed His relationship to the Law of Moses.

     “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”  Matthew 5:17-18

     Next we’ll examine the immutability of the law given to Moses relative to the church.

     Share your thoughts walt.thrun@gmail.com

     

    

    

The Immutability of God's Righteousness

     The time was 1445 BC, approximately 630 years after God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham, and just three months after the Exodus from Egyptian bondage.

     God had provided fresh water and manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.  Now God was about to reveal to His people His standard of righteousness.  The place was at the base of Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb).

     Up to this point in the wilderness God had spoken exclusively through Moses.  Now He would appear on Mount Sinai, and even though speaking to Moses, the people would experience God’s presence and know that it was He who spoke.

     God’s presence was witnessed both visibly and audibly.

     “…there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled…Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire.  Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”  Exodus 19:16, 18  

     Before God spoke to Moses in the presence of all the people, He had reminded him that it was He who delivered the Israelites from bondage.  He further told Moses that Israel would be a special treasure above all people; they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  However, such blessings rested on Israel’s obedience to the laws that He was about to reveal.

     This absolutely does not contradict nor supersede God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham and his descendants.  However, their odyssey towards the fulfillment of that covenant would be fraught with hardship if they were disobedient along the way.

     Then God revealed His standard of righteousness which would begin with the Ten Commandments.

1)     There is only one God and it is He who was speaking

2)     There was to be no worship of any image which would lead to idolatry

3)     God’s name was to be hallowed, not taken lightly, especially not to be invoked in an oath

4)     The Sabbath was a holy day

5)     One was to honor their father and mother

6)     Murder was forbidden

7)     Adultery was forbidden

8)     Stealing was forbidden

9)     Lying was forbidden

10) Desiring something that belonged to someone else was forbidden

     These laws were explained and illustrated with examples all during the forty years in the wilderness.

     And just prior to entering the Promised Land, Moses reiterated God’s laws.

     “Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them.”  Deuteronomy 1:3

     Moses told the Israelites that their first priority was obedience to God’s laws.  They were to be the example for all nations.  They were warned explicitly not to add or subtract from those laws.

     “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.  Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”  Deuteronomy 4:5-6

     The Hebrew for ‘statutes’ has several significant synonyms including ‘commandments’ and ‘laws’ in addition to ‘judgments.’

     And just as the forty year journey was coming to an end, Moses again stressed obedience.

     “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God…and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes…”  Deuteronomy 10:12-13

     A millennium later the last prophet in the Old Testament confirmed the immutability of God’s commandments and statutes.

     “For I am the LORD, I do not change…yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them.  Return to Me, and I will return to you…”  Malachi 3:6-7

     ‘Ordinances’ is from the same Hebrew word for ‘commandments’ and ‘statutes.’

     The immutability of God’s laws did not end with the Old Testament.

     Share your thoughts walt.thrun@gmail.com